Clean a microwave in minutes! All you need is vinegar and water, no scrubbing required!

Have you ever exploded pizza sauce in the microwave? Today’s post will show you how to clean a microwave using only water, vinegar, and steam! It’s easy to do, only takes a few minutes, and it works great!

I was able to clean off dirt and grime I didn’t even realize was there!

I love simple cleaning solutions like this. I made a homemade grout cleaner with just baking soda and bleach and it worked WONDERS! And we’ve been using a homemade borax free laundry soap for almost a year now and we love it! It’s cheap, non-toxic, and cleans better than commercial detergent! And when we moved into our new house and the washing machine was horribly dirty, I learned how to clean a washing machine with just two wash cycles, and it’s sparkling clean now!

Materials

Instructions

I made a video to show you just how easy it is to clean a microwave with vinegar and steam!

1. Put water and vinegar in a microwaveable bowl

Fill a microwaveable bowl with 2 cups of water and add 2 tablespoons of vinegar. Add a drop of essential oil if you want to mask the vinegar smell.

Drop a toothpick into the bowl of water to help keep the water from boiling out over the edges of the bowl.

2. Microwave on high for 5 minutes.

Put the bowl in the microwave, shut the door, and run the microwave on high for 5 minutes.

3. Let it steam for a few minutes.

When the timer goes off, don’t open the microwave right away. Leave the door shut for 2-3 more minutes to let the steam continue to work. The steam will help loosen up caked on bits of food, and the vinegar and lemon oil will help eliminate any odors.

4. Remove the bowl and turntable.

When you open the door, be careful pulling the bowl out; it will be very hot! Remove the turntable tray (carefully, it will be hot as well) and wash it in the sink.

5. Wipe the microwave down with a sponge

Take your sponge and wipe down the inside of the microwave; the dirt and food will come right off!

How To Clean A Microwave With Vinegar & Steam

Clean a microwave in minutes! All you need is vinegar and water, no scrubbing required!

Active Time5mins

Additional Time5mins

Total Time10mins

Course: Cleaning

Keyword: how to clean microwave

Author: Jessi Wohlwend

Equipment

microwaveable bowl

sponge

Materials

2Cwater

2Tvinegar

toothpick

essential oilsoptional

Instructions

Fill a microwaveable bowl with 2 cups of water and add 2 tablespoons of vinegar. Drop a toothpick in the bowl.

Put the bowl in the microwave and turn it on high for 5 minutes.

Leave the door shut for 2-3 more minutes so the steam can loosen up caked on bits of food, and the vinegar will help eliminate any odors.

Remove the bowl and turntable (be careful, it will be hot!) and wash the turntable in the sink.

Wipe down the inside of the microwave with a damp sponge; the dirt and food will come right off!

Video

Notes

Liquids can get superheated in a microwave and “explode”. It isn’t common, but it can happen. Bubbles can’t form on a smooth surface, so if you’re microwaving liquid in a perfectly smooth container no bubbles will form (i.e. the liquid won’t boil) until it is jostled. This can cause it to “explode” into boiling when you open the microwave or try to remove the bowl.

But don’t worry too much; most consumer bowls and cups are not perfectly smooth. Even things like glass that feel smooth to the touch still have minor imperfections in the surface that will allow bubbles to form.

Also, the turntable in the microwave should jostle the liquid enough to allow it to boil while the bowl rotates in the microwave. But it never hurts to be safe, so drop a toothpick in your bowl; bubbles will be able to form on the wood, causing the water to boil without exploding.

You could also use the Angry Mama microwave cleaner to steam clean your microwave, which eliminates the “smooth surface” problem of a glass bowl. Plus she’s cute, and only a couple bucks!

Another way to clean your microwave is to get a sponge soaking wet, pour about a teaspoon of vinegar on it, and then microwave the sponge. However, this method doesn’t create as much steam as microwaving a bowl of water, so if your microwave is really dirty, use the bowl instead.

Do you have any other tips for cleaning a microwave? I was thrilled with how easy this was! What other kitchen cleaning tips have you tried?

Tools & Supplies I Recommend

I believe that anyone can do crafts and DIY projects, regardless of skill or experience. I love sharing simple craft ideas, step by step DIY project tutorials, cleaning hacks, and other tips and tricks all with one goal in mind: giving you the tools you need to “do it yourself”, complete fun projects, and make awesome things!

Comments

I am obsessive about covering food in the microwave so it doesn't get to that state…but Hyphen is less so. I've steamed a wet sponge to loosen everything, but the bowl with water and vinegar seems more effective!

Hi Jessi. I did as you said, and I now have a very clean and shiny M/W. Thanks for the tip,as I told Anon. having no sense of smell can be dangerous, for the other person! But I cannot go wrong with your tips. Thank you,again. And keep up the good work, for us mear Mortals!!!!!

A little vinegar and baking soda (watch when mixing the two due to them making a volcano) will clean about ANYTHING!! You can also try lemon juice and salt mixed together to get stuck on stuff. Be careful to not SCRATCH your appliances to much or it can ruin your finish. And for your sponges, run them through your dishwasher with your dishes and they are nice and clean and germ free!!

Hello Anon. As a n older member of the male set(67) I was interested with your use of vinegar/bakingsoda.I have lost my sense of smell, and nearly killed my wife by using the wrong stuff. I am trying out Jessi`s method ( aint got no soda, will coke do?) The m/w has pinged, so its back to work. See ya:)>-<

I've been doing this for years -minus the vinegar. Acually I just put a damp rag in the microwave and let the moisture from that steam the inside. Use a different rag to wipe clean, because the first one will be too hot to use. And I just stick my turn table in the dishwasher, and pop it back in when it's done.

I'm visiting from the Nify Thrify linky party. I would love if you stopped by my blog.

I just used the high setting like we use for most of our food. And as you can see from the picture above our microwave is only 700 watts (most range from 600 to 1200, so it's on the lower end) but I don't think that part matters at all. You just want it to get nice and steamy in there!

BE SURE AND PLACE A TOOTHPICK IN THE CUP OF WATER AND VINEGAR!!! A family friend was doing this same cleaning trick and when she opened the microwave the boiling water exploded in her face causing very SEVERE burns. The doctors explained the tension in the water and said putting something small in it, such as a toothpick, would prevent it from exploding.

Good to know! When I microwaved this it didn’t boil over, plus my microwave was super dirty so I let it sit for about two minutes with the door shut after the timer went off and the water had a chance to cool down. But that’s a great tip and a great reminder to be careful with anything super hot!

I read this article yesterday and did it immediately. I did not have lemon oil so I used peppermint oil with a toothpick and it did wonders with no hint of a vinegar aroma. However, it did have a very pleasant aroma. I am a new reader and am happy to say I will continue to read more. I enjoy tips that even I can do and be successful at. Thank you, Woodie

Also a good idea to remind people NOT to use cold water to wash their hot glass turntable or bowl unless they want it to crack! The good thing about the vinegar is it acts as a disinfectant too. I’ll give this a try the next time my microwave gets splattered. BTW I read that you can also use a mixture of peroxide and baking soda to get rid of stains on plastic/resin bathtubs without damaging the surface so if there are still stains in the microwave that might be good to try…

Not sure what type of stove top you have, but I have a WHITE flat top. It was left for us from the previous owners and they must have used steel wool to clean it because there’s NO top layer left to keep everything from getting burned onto it. ANYWAY, I tried EVERYTHING from bleach to vinegar to magic erasers and nothing worked. Then my MIL told me she was told by the guy that sold hers to her to use angled razor blades! (ANGLED so you don’t scratch it up worse) My stove is super shiny clean now! —–As for microwave, I love this trick! I sometimes use a drop of essential oil to remove any odors (burned popcorn is the worst!) A drop of teatree, rosemary, or eucalyptus are my go-to odor eliminators. I also put a drop (ONE so as not to ruin it) in my steam floor cleaner, and in my vacuum container. A few drops of lavender on a damp washcloth in the dryer with sheets and towels is wonderful too! Lastly- I live in SERIOUS tick country and have kids and pets. I make a blend of peppermint, eucalyptus, lavender, and rosemary in a spray bottle of alcohol and spritz the sheets, couches, and rugs. It works great and smells amazing! (just be careful to check that you don’t stain any fabrics by using too much oil)

Love this trick.. just tried it for the first time today. I realized I didn’t have white vinegar but tried it with the apple cidar vingear we have and it worked just as great. Crusted cheeze came right off the glass plate too! My microwave is usually a nightmare and this was great. Made it an easy ordeal. I could fill the dishwasher while the combo was microwaving.

@ Karla, I have a white stovetop too and it is always another nightmareish task to tackle in my kitchen.. we love to cook and get messy in the kitchen. I will definitely try the angled razor trick-thanks for the tip!

HOLY CRAP! My micrwave hasnt been cleaner since the day I bought it! I poured some of the hot vinegar water on my stovetop instead of down the drain and let it sit for a bit. Didn’t go as well as cleaning the microwave, but my stove is nice and clean now also. YEAH!

I have been doin this for awhle now. I hav never used vnegar, however, I do use dish soa in the bowl and let it run for quite some tme and it works great !!U can also spray your microwave with kiten cleaner such as 409 or whatever u use and it works well tooo!!

Another great tip. Thanks you are the go to girl with all the easy tips for making the house sparkle. The best tip I know around the home is to buy an extension cord for your vacuum so that you don’t have to stop and start all the time. Saves all the bending over.

I soak 2 or three kitchen sponges in water and then pour a small amount of vinegar. Set the timer for 2 minutes and then let it cool for a few more. You can use the sponges to clean the microwave. It also kills the bacteria in the sponges so it’s a two-fer!

Yesterday evening I read this on Pinterest and started at once this cleaningtip. After five minutes I saw some result and decided to give it another 5 minutes. A great boom and the water exploded!!! But …. after cleaning the mess, my microwave was cleaner than ever ;- ))) Thanks for this tip, but never longer dan five minutes. Greez from Corrie

Thanks for this tip! I live in a dorm and we have two shared microwaves in the whole dorm for about 90 girls. As you can imagine, our microwaves are disgusting! I live right across the hall from the microwave room, so when I can’t sleep, sometimes I scrub at the microwaves, but I can never get them clean. I’m going to try this next time I’m having a burst of insomnia!

That lovely little turntable can go in the dishwasher…every time I have a not-quite full load I put the turntable in. Also, the lovely little vent cover goes in to (I have a microwave mounted over my stove and the cover can get pretty gunky).

This was great advice cuz my microwave was like a jungle but with food stains it was just omg so I wanted to clean it for my mom but just with water it did not work tried with microwave cleaners and etc but nothing worked whenever someone came they would say nice house nice furniture but WOW what a microwave its so dirty I would be like ok lol Ikr and blah but then my cousin told me bout this website so it was great help for me and my family thxz soo much for having pictures and great advice for us viewers to see

FYI: My DD used that exact bowl to reheat some Chile a couple of weeks ago, and it cracked all the way around the middle of the bowl! Unbelievable because we have been using it all the time and there were no cracks, chips and she only put it in for 55 secs! Thanks for all of your tips by the way!!!

Ok, this did not work for me at all. I microwaved it for five minutes the first time, and nothing happened. I microwaved it for ten minutes the second time and let it set a couple minutes after the time went off. When I opened the microwave, the baked-on crud was still baked on. This didn’t moisten or loosen any of the grime. Is there some secret step that I missed?

You couldn’t just wipe it away with a rag afterward? I doesn’t clean it for you, it should just make it way easier to wipe up. 🙂 After you microwaved the water and vinegar, when you opened the door did a bunch of steam come out? The steam is what loosens up the gunk.

Absolutely did not work for me. I tried it several times with different size bowls, different water amounts, different times… no luck on any of them! 🙁 None of any of the variations produced enough steam to help in any way at all. So disappointed since my microwave is a mess!

That’s too bad Kelly! I’ve never produced enough steam that steam came pouring out of the microwave when I open the door, but it’s always enough to slightly loosen the caked on gunk so I can wipe it away with a sponge. I wish I had some other suggestion for you. 🙁

It sounds as if the heat setting on your microwave may be too low. You can confirm this by steaming some frozen veggies; if you need to add a couple minutes extra to the recommended time, there’s your answer. Also, if you have a coffee maker, it should be de-scaled 1-2 times a month by adding 1 tbsp to 1 cup of vinegar (amount is dependent upon type and size of coffee maker) to enough water for 2-3 full cycles before doing a clean water rinse. I re-use this water to clean the microwave, refrigerator, and then add any leftover water to a 1/2 full sink with Dawn to soak my plastic bowls to take stains out. If you try this method I do recommend investing in a pair of long dish gloves with some type of lining to keep your hands from getting burned or chapped.

This works great! I don’t use vinegar though (the smell of vinegar gives me migraines), I used a little bit of lemon juice. I microwaved it the 5 minutes recommended. Then I immediately took out the turn table (put the bowl back in and reclosed the microwave to give it a few extra minutes of steam time) and washed it (wiped right off with no effort whatsoever). Then a took the bowl out of the microwave (again immediately reclosed the microwave to keep it hot) and poured the water on my stove top to let it soak while I wiped out the microwave (which again wiped right off with no effort). Then I wiped the stove right off, again with very little effort! 🙂 Thank you for this tip, I will never again have to scrub my microwave or stove top!

Me too, Monica. I hate that smell of vinegar so I tried to use a lemon in a bowl of water. And it worked great. By the way, if the microwave just got dirty, you can clean it right away while everything is still “wet”. I’d even suggest to always do this as it’s even easier and faster 🙂

I have done this for years, and yes, it works quite well! Just 2 quick things that others might not know. First, if you use sponges rather than the bowl method, sponges CAN catch on fire in the microwave, even when sopping wet. (Speaking from experience, whoops!) So for people using the sponge method, just be advised that you shouldn’t walk away from the microwave while they’re heating like you can walk away from the bowl method.

Also, when removing the turn table to wash it, it is VERY hot coming out of the microwave, which means if you run cold water over it, it CAN crack/break/shatter. So it’s a good idea to set it out to let cool for a few minutes before washing with warm/hot water. 🙂

And just a guess for the people for whom it did not work, perhaps they have a lower power microwave and the water mixture never boiled? (Great tip about floating a toothpick, by the way – I’d never heard that one before and had something blow up in my face for the first time about 2 weeks ago!)

Good point about the turntable glass shattering! Mine was so hot I had to wait a while for it to cool down, but even if the glass is just warm to the touch, it can still shatter, so it’s a really great idea to match the water temperature to the temperature of the glass before washing!

I looked in while it was going and saw it boiling, but after 10 minutes or more I could see some steam coming out of the bowl but there was no steam anywhere visible on the inside of the microwave. I was able to clean it with a wet cloth because it wasn’t very dirty, but some things I still had to scrub at and they were definitely not loose and softened. It’s very strange. I’m sure I’ve done it before and had it work.

That is strange! I don’t usually see the steam in the microwave through the door, but when I open the door the inside of the microwave is all slightly wet, so I know there was steam in there at some point. So weird!

I’ve always cleaned mine by pouring about a 1/2 cup of water right on the microwave’s tray, running it for a minute, letting it sit for 5 so the stream does the work, then using the water to wipe it down. Easy peasy.

I’m a little late to the party on this one, and I know this will probably be buried, but I do this with vanilla extract instead of vinegar and throw a piece of cinnamon bark in. It makes the whole house smell AMAZING, and has the same cleaning power.

what a great idea. i been working a lot and my microwave needed a lot of help. I came across your page and decided to try it and how wonderful. now i can’t wait to try the bath room one for the tub and shower.

Saw this on facebook so thought i would give it a try. $300 microwave is now no longer. The digital pad must have absorbed too much steam. Now using my son’s which I just cleaned with hot water and a cloth. Was not taking any chance. Super disappointed as I use white vinegar for everything. 🙁

I usually just take my wet cotton kitchen cloth and leave it for 1 minute on heat in the microwave and then Wearing good thick rubber gloves wipe Down the machine – the fat is Loose and the cloth warm so be careful.

I’ve had luck getting food coloring stains off of my counters using liquid dishwasher detergent. I just put a small amount covering the stain and let it sit for a while, then scrubbed at it with a toothbrush. I don’t know if it will work in the microwave but I don’t think it will hurt to try!

Great trick. Here’s an even more specific microwave cleaning question. If you have a fire in the microwave, is it safe to use once you put the fire out? Think the timer turned the microwave on (and I had butter to melt– which caught on fire). Not so easy to clean the smokey grime off the walls and concerned this may be a safety issue– if the fire had a longterm impact on the interior. Have seen different opinions online, looking for definitive answer. Thanks.

Awesome idea! Usually plain water does the trick, but if you need the extra odor-eliminating power, vinegar works great! (By the way, I’m going to be sharing a post about how to clean the inside of your oven soon! Check back in a week or two!)

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